Term Paper on "School Improvement Project Proposal"

Quoted Instructions for "School Improvement Project Proposal" Assignment:

open to all *****s!

identify a problem that existed in your work setting,

(improve test scores, reading, parental involvement, technology-choose one) and propose a plan to solve the problem,implement solution strategies that you developed, and evaluate the effectiveness of that solution.

Include the following:

Chapter I information:

Use the subheadings!

Description of the Community -- Present factors that give the reader an understanding of the setting. Describe geographic references, the community size, the socio-economic situation, and other relevant information that places the work setting in context. Do not use the name of your work setting or the name of the community, state or province!!

*****'s Work Setting -- Provide information about the work setting in which the problem occurred. Describe the population and staff. Describe it in general terms then be specific about factors which make it unique.

*****'s Role -- Describe your role and responsibilities, your power base in your work setting as they apply to the project.

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Chapter II information:

Use the subheadings.

Problem Statement -- To begin the first section, write one or two concise sentences that clearly state the problem. Begin the first paragraph with the following: "The problem to be solved in this project was..." Do not reveal other information in your problem statement, such as the causes of the problem or strategies for improvement.

Problem Description -- Begin by presenting the problem as it existed in your setting, explaining the situation in detail by providing relevant background information. Describe the difficulties encountered, the persons affected, and the reasons why the problem had not been solved or why previous solutions failed.

Problem Documentation -- Use data such as test scores, staff reports, interview results, questionnaire responses or observations. You must provide evidence to proved that your problem existed. Describe the methods used for gathering the evidence and the data as it relates to the problem.

Causative Analysis -- Describe each of these causes, and provide details of the investigation carried out to pinpoint the specific causes in your setting.

Relationship of the Problem to the Literature -- You should support your problem with information from professional literature about similar problems, supportive evidence, and possible causes. The literature review must appear as a separate section. The literature review should provide a perspective that demonstrates that you are current in your understanding of your topic. Information should be no more than 10 years old. The literature review should be a synthesis of your research and should conclude with a summary statement that ties your research to the specific problem in your setting.

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Chapter III: Anticipated Outcomes and Evaluation Instruments

*****¢ Goals and Expectations

In the first part of the chapter, present your vision as a goal statement. This statement should reflect the purpose of your project; it summarizes your expectations prior to implementation. Even if the expectations were not met, you should state them as originally envisioned. The goal is directly related to the problem statement and the overall improvement that you anticipated. It should NOT reflect solutions nor should it indicate the steps you took to reach the goal.

Introduce your goals and outcomes as follows: "The following goal(s) was/were projected for this project: ..." Number, list, and present the goal(s).

Introduce outcomes as follows: "The following outcomes were projected for this project:..." Number, list and present the outcomes.

*****¢ Expected Outcomes

Specific outcomes should be presented that include the change expected at the end of implementation, the standard of performance that was anticipated, and the assessment method that was used to measure any changes which occurred. These expected outcomes must be measurable & observable, clearly indicating what the ***** expected the situation would look like following the end of implementation of the solution.

In most cases, these outcomes should relate to the evidence of the problem presented in Chapter II. Outcomes do not depend on specific solutions; therefore, solution strategies should not be included in outcome statements.

Write outcome measures to demonstrate that the individuals involved have changed their behavior rather than using questionnaires that ask about the change.

Open with a paragraph that begins: "The following outcomes were projected for this project: .." Number each outcome statement and present them as a list.

*****¢ Measurement of Outcomes

Include a section that describes how you intended to measure each projected outcome. Although you may have included the technique or instrument in the outcome statement, here you should provide the reader with more detail. If a survey was used, was it written or oral? Were the questions open-ended? How much time did you allow for the survey's administration?

Instead of placing published or copyrighted tests in the appendices, include the full bibliographic reference in the reference list at the end of the report. Include a copy of any evaluation instrument you designed yourself.

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Chapter IV: Solution Strategy

*****¢ Discussion and Evaluation of Solutions

Open Chapter IV with a paragraph that restates the problem exactly as it was presented in Chapter II.

Present your review of the literature related to research studies or programs that other professionals carried out in similar situations. Discuss each of the solution strategies you researched, synthesizing when appropriate.

Following the review of the literature, discuss solutions you generated. Evaluate the solutions you have generated from the literature and from toying with ideas. Provide a critique which reflects on each solution from the perspective of considerations such as time, economy, materials, staff, etc. Would the ideas work in your setting, with your population, with your resources?

*****¢ Description of Selected Solutions

Describe the solution you planned to implement. Your selection may represent a combination of ideas based on the analysis and evaluation of your pool of ideas, or it may be selected from any step in the idea generation process. Justify the solution you selected by evaluating it in terms of the criteria you established for judging the appropriateness of solutions to your problem and setting. Justify your choice of solution by relating it to the goals and outcomes that you established in chapter III as well as to your analysis in Chapter II.

*****¢ Report of Action Taken

Here you present to the reader what you actually did during the implementation phase. You must report and discuss deviations from your plans as well as any roadblocks or difficulties encountered along the way. Assume that the reader wants to duplicate your solution; communicate sufficient information in this section so that this duplication would be possible.

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Chapter V: Results

Begin with a brief summary of the problem in your work setting and the solution strategy you utilized. Restate your goal. This summary provides the reader with a quick overview and sets the stage for Chapter V.

RESULTS (subheading)

The Expected Outcomes section of your Chapter III should guide you in the presentation and analysis of your results. Results should be organized so that they address the outcomes in the order in which they appeared in Chapter III.

Number and restate the first outcome exactly as it appeared in Chapter III, then in a separate paragraph, state the following: "This outcome was met" OR "This outcome was not met." (USE ONLY THESE STATEMENTS -- do not say "nearly met" or "almost met.")

In the next paragraph, share the results that related to that outcome. Do the same for each outcome.

DISCUSSION (subheading)

After presenting the results (the facts), discuss their meaning and interpret them in light of your project. References from the literature are appropriate here as you compare and contrast your results ht the work of others.

For example, were the outcomes met? If so, what does that mean for you? What are the implications? If the outcomes were not met, what possible explanations can you offer? What are the implications? Discuss unanticipated outcomes as well. Did they have meaning? Why do you think so?

This discussion section should conclude with a summary that flows logically from your results.

RECOMMENDATIONS (subheading)

What recommendations do you have that could benefit others in similar situations and what do you recommend for furthering this "solution" in your work setting?

These recommendations can be numbered and should only be one or two sentences. However, a rationale for your recommendations should be included.

DISSEMINATION (subheading)

What plans do you have for disseminating the project results among your professional colleagues? Do you plan to write an article? Present at a district workshop or professional meeting?

References

Appendices